SOCIALIST Challenge published last week a resolution calling for a lobby of the Labour Party's one-day conference on 31 May.
The call for a lobby has the backing of a number of prominent labour movement bodies and individuals, including Battersea worth Trades Council national Fightback meting.
This week we publish interviews with a number of individuals who, in their personal capacity, ported the call.
Hugh Richards, Battersea South CLP delegate to the 31 May conference:
'Battersea and Wandsworth, council, supports the call for a lobby. We had 4,000 people out on Wandsworth Common on 14 May. Our real strength lies in the uniens, but we have to try to control the Labour Party.
'The union leaders use the party as an excuse for inaction. Under Callaghan they said: "Look, this is our government, we have to go along with its policies". Now they say: "Look, our government isn't in office, we have to wait until it is".
*But they control the Labour Party with the block vote! We have to use the strength of the union rank and file to control the union leaders and the Labour Party.' Martin Eadie, president, London Transport district NUR:
'I think it's important membership to make its voice heard in the Labour Party. Although we received a very good response to 14 May in some areas, it was patchy in others. The media played these up.
'I'm suré that one reason was the lack of a united purpose. What are we fighting for - to make Thatcher change her mind?
'If we knew we were aiming to get the Tories out we would have a much clearer sense of where we we're going. problem the one-day conference should discussing.
members' have suptrades union This is the sort of Bernadette Lynch, chairperson Lewisham cuts campaign:
'I hope the lobby will let us spread the sort of stand our cuts committee has taken. took a "no cuts, no rates rises" position, and this has a lot of support among local Labour Party activists.
'In Lewisham the area refused to carry out the health cuts, and the government had to appoint its own commis. sioners. This, and the council's refusal to pay Labour Party members on a West London 14 May demonstration backing. any further action taken.
health authority to organise it support it.' the police precept, have roused a lot of local 'We need a national movement to back up "There is another important point: when the AHA refused to make cuts, the hospitals were still closed. There was no mass action, as there was with the EGA, for example — aithough the AHA's action generated plenty of willingness It is direct action that will stop the Tories The Labour Party should be made to build and Ray district NUPE:
support of our struggles be discussing the Tories' shop stewards committee:
- 'The last national Fightback important 'Fightback started control its actions.' councillor:
elected on • a opposition because Tories.
seem responsible for their attacks.
make cuts or raise rates.
the government.
'I support this lobby. I've been campaigning for NUPE members to use their strength in the Labour Party to get some action from it in This is what the one-day conférence should - building mass action against Carl Becker, chairperson, Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow health members' meting supported the lobby call. I think it's we start paying attention to the under me Labour government, and we shouldn't forget that they made the cuts respectable. Then during the "winter of discontent thev turned on Dublk sector workers who were striking for the very policies on which the government was elected - decent living standards and social services.
'But it's our levies and unions that keep the Labour Party going. We should use them to Enda Donnely, Hounslow Labour 'I'm glad this lobby has been called. I was "no cuts" platform after the Hounslow Hospital occupation. But the local Labour group doesn't want to know. It thinks it can duck the problem by raising the rates.
"This is just a disguised cut. It lets the Tories off the hook. Now, when the next round of cuts comes, it will be much harder to rouse mas the local people won't know if they're fighting the council or the "That's the Tories' strategy - to make us "The problem is that the Labour Party has given no clear national lead to councils that willl "illegal" action by refusing to We need a national movement to defend councils that do stick their neck out — and to force them to take a stand.
"The Labour Party isn't building this movement because it isn't committed to kicking out We need a grassroots current in the Labour Party that will fight for this.'